Jacob Blake and All of Us
Jacob Blake and All of Us
Days ago, a Black man named Jacob Blake was shot multiple times in the back, inches away from his children. He wasn’t arrested. He wasn’t tried by a jury of his peers and a judge didn’t sentence him, but the officers who shot him attempted to execute him.
Not long after, a young white boy was safely taken into custody without harm, after confirmation that he shot at and killed multiple people.
The differences in how Black people are treated isn’t lost on me. Ever. I think about it when I shop at Whole Foods. When my sons roam Seattle with their friends. When AJ picks up a package at the office or when Maria heads into a wealthy neighborhood for a meeting. When Wole runs an errand for us. There’s a reality that says that no matter how we conduct our lives, the chances of harm coming to us are higher than for others. We live with this understanding every day, and society reminds us like this just in case we forget.
So how do we continue to show up the way we do, to greet you all at events, build community, and show up positively? It’s because we know that the way to a better future is this one: through voting, helping others to vote, and through changing and promoting laws that better recognize the equal value of our lives.
Our.
Lives.
So get upset. Get angry. Then get to work. Because that’s what we do, and right now we, and our country, need you.
Keep on…
Charles
